PALESTINE, Texas (Nov. 28, 2018) – The City of Palestine’s Community Services (Parks) offices have moved from the Palestine Mall.

The Community Services office is at 201 E. Coronaca St., the city’s warehouse facility. In addition, a new phone number for community services has been established. Residents can call 903-731-8493 to speak with Community Services staff or to reserve pavilions or athletic fields at city parks.

In addition, the city has created a new online reservation form and calendar for pavilion reservations. To access, visit cityofpalestinetx.com/default.aspx?name=parks.pavilionform. Pavilion and athletic field reservations can be found on the city’s Community Calendar.

Library presents annual puppet show ‘Snowbound in Texas’ on December 19

Nov 27 2018 - 09:13:00 am

PALESTINE, Texas (Nov. 27, 2018) – Puppet Wise Productions will be performing the holiday puppet show, Snowbound in Texas, on Wednesday, Dec. 19 at the Palestine Public Library, 2000 S. Loop 256. This show is complimentary to the library's story-time patrons, and it is appropriate for young children ages three and up and their families.

With only one show at 10 a.m., seating may be limited, so check with the library for availability. For more information, please contact a librarian at (903) 729-4121.

During the puppet show, family patrons will have an opportunity to visit with a host of holiday characters and Texas critters as they help a little lost penguin find his way back home to the North Pole in time for Christmas. The puppet characters will entice the audience to talk to them and to help them sing an original country-western song with a holiday theme.

East Texas puppeteers, Raymond Eastman, Jr., owner of Puppet Wise Productions, and his brother, Trevor Eastman, will be manipulating the hand and rod puppets as well as performing all of the characters' voices. The Eastman brothers have been performing at Texas libraries for the past 22 years and are proud to be a continued part of the library’s holiday festivities.

PALESTINE, Texas (Nov. 16, 2018) – The City of Palestine has announced the Thanksgiving holiday schedule for city facilities.

The following city offices and facilities will close November 22 and 23 and will resume normal business hours on Monday, Nov. 26:
• City Hall, which includes Customer Service, Municipal Court, Finance, Development Services, Public Works, Utilities, City Manager’s Office, Police Administration, Fire Administration, City Secretary, Human Resources, Streets, Emergency Management Office and Warehouse Services.
• There will not be an afternoon Municipal Court session on Wednesday, Nov. 21.
• Palestine Economic Development and Main Street Offices
• Palestine Community Services Offices
• Palestine Visitor Center will be closed Wednesday, Nov. 21 through Friday, Nov. 23.
• Palestine Public Library will close Thursday, Nov. 22, Friday, Nov. 23 and Saturday, Nov. 24. All library materials (books, CDs, and DVDs) can be returned 24/7 in the book drop located on the curb outside of the Mall’s main entrance.

The following city offices and facilities will be open:
• The Palestine Mall Concourse and Mall shops will remain open on Friday, Nov. 23 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The mall will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 22 and Saturday, Nov. 24. The mall is closed on Sundays.

The following is scheduled from Public Works:
• City garbage/recycling services will not run on Thanksgiving, but those scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 22, will be picked up on Friday, Nov. 23. Those scheduled for Friday will be picked up on Saturday, Nov. 24.
• The compost site on Spring Street will be closed on Saturday, Nov. 24.
• To report after-hours and holiday water/sewer/road issues that require immediate attention, please contact City Hall at 903-729-2254, and press “0” for immediate assistance.

Palestine Public Library to host Angel Tree for disadvantaged area veterans

Nov 15 2018 - 01:52:00 pm

PALESTINE, Texas (Nov.15, 2018) – The Palestine Public Library is partnering with the Anderson County Veterans Service Center to make sure area veterans are remembered this Christmas.

Palestine Public Library, with the help of the Palestine Anderson County Veterans Service Center will host an Angel Tree to benefit area veterans who are in need.

See the list below for some of the items needed or come by the library to pick up a complete list. Purchase one or more items from the list and drop it off at the library during regular library hours. All gifts should be dropped off by Wednesday, Dec. 12 at 5 p.m. Gifts should be unwrapped. We are also taking gift bags and tissue paper donations.

Please help us bring a smile to one of the 40-50 veterans, who risked their lives for our country and our freedom, this Christmas season and sponsor an angel!

For more information call the Palestine Public Library at 903-729-4121 or visit us on Facebook or Twitter.

Winners announced for the 2018 Texas Downtown Association President’s Awards Program

Nov 13 2018 - 03:03:00 pm

The Redlands Hotel was named winner of the Best Renovation / Restoration / Rehab for a community with a population between fifteen and one hundred thousand. The Texas Downtown Association (TDA) sponsors the annual program to recognize outstanding projects, places, and people of Texas.

“The Redlands building has served as an anchor for downtown Palestine, Texas for over a century. The Redlands had been utilized as a hotel for only a few years when, as the only building of sufficient capacity, it was repurposed as the general offices of the International and Great Northern Railroad. In the mid 1950s the offices relocated and the Redlands became increasingly vacant and underutilized, and deterioration set in. By 1976, it was well on its way to a complete state of dilapidation, when it was acquired by the current owner, Jean Mollard. Through decades of dedicated labor and investment, the Redlands has been painstakingly restored to its original use as a hotel and restaurant. It is not unusual for a small city of less than 20,000 people to have had a large anchor hotel built early in the 20th century, but it is very unusual for a city of this size to have successfully rehabilitated such a structure. Even more rare is for a substantial rehabilitation of this scale to be conducted by individual private owners. “- Jacob Morris, Historic Preservation Officer.
“The rehabilitation itself has been conducted with a high degree of sensitivity to the historic character of the façade and spaces within. The changes made to adapt the building to offices have gradually been transformed to uncover the original character of the interior. The historic lobby has been rehabilitated, with incompatible alterations stripped away to reveal the symmetry, proportions, and materials inherent in the original design. “

TDA was established in 1985 to connect and serve communities that are committed to downtown vitality. The organization is an independent, statewide nonprofit that represents cities and towns of all sizes, economic development corporations, chambers of commerce, local organizations, small businesses, and individuals.

“We are so happy to receive this award of recognition! The work in this building is tedious because we always intend to adhere to historic standards and retain the history while making it useful today. It is such an honor to be appreciated by this group. It is a huge endorsement for the Hotel for our guests and visitors.” - Jean Mollard and team.

One hundred and eleven entries were submitted in eleven different categories from communities across the state. Judges reviewed entries online and then met in person to make their final selection of award finalists and winners. The panel included: Britin Bostick, Stewardship Strategies; Ken Johnson, Michael Hsu Office of Architecture; Julie Kunkle, Austin Monthly; Lisa O’Neill, Breakaway Public Relations; and David Teel, Texas Tourism Industry Association.

Winners were announced on November 7 at the Awards Gala held in conjunction with the 2018 Texas Downtown Conference in Corpus Christi. For more information about the President’s Awards or other programs of the Texas Downtown Association, please visit www.texasdowntown.org. Applications for the 2019 awards program will open in the spring.

PALESTINE, Texas (Nov. 7, 2018) – The City of Palestine has announced the Veterans Day holiday schedule for city facilities.

The following city offices and facilities will close Monday, November 12 and will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, November 13:
• City Hall, which includes Customer Service, Municipal Court, Finance, Development Services, Public Works, Utilities, City Manager’s Office, Police Administration, Fire Administration, City Secretary, Human Resources, Streets, Emergency Management Office and Warehouse Services.
• Palestine Economic Development and Main Street Offices
• Palestine Community Services Offices
• Palestine Visitor Center and Performing Arts Center of Palestine
• Palestine Public Library will close Saturday, November 10 and Monday, November 12. All library materials (books, CDs, and DVDs) can be returned 24/7 in the book drop located on the curb outside of the Mall’s main entrance.
• The Palestine Mall Concourse and Mall shops will close on November 10 through November 12 and will reopen on Tuesday, November 13.

The following is scheduled from Public Works:
• City garbage/recycling services will run as scheduled
• The compost site on Spring Street will be closed on Saturday, November 10.
• To report after-hours and holiday water/sewer/road issues that require immediate attention, please contact City Hall at 903-729-2254, and press “0” for immediate assistance.

PALESTINE, Texas (November 6, 2018) – Palestine is gearing up for upwards of 65,000 people to attend this year’s Polar Express at the Texas State Railroad from November 17 through December 27.

“It may seem a little early to start putting up Christmas decorations, but we want to make our Polar Express Train riders feel welcome when exploring our city in their PJ’s!”, said Mary Raum, Tourism Marketing Manager for the City of Palestine. “Starting next weekend, if you see people around town in their Christmas PJs. Please help them to feel welcome.”

The Polar Express Train Ride™ presented by the Texas State Railroad is the largest contributor to our local tourism efforts in Palestine and the riders bring in significant tax dollars for each year.